Myth and Magic at Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin

A few steps, and a few seconds spent in the grand lobby of Hotel Adlon Kempinski, and you notice the difference. Around the world, hotel lobbies have been undergoing a slow transformation. Rather than places to tarry and enjoy, people pass through quickly, seeking the privacy of their room.

Not at the Adlon. Here, the lobby itself is a major attraction, as is the hotel. 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE ADLON

As you walk in off Pariser Platz, the soaring space opens up on two levels. You feel it immediately – an energy here, a buzz. Everyone present knows they’re spending time in an icon. The buttery banquettes and tables near the elephant fountain remain busy, morning, noon and night, from couples lingering over early-day coffees to small groups, mostly local Berliners, enjoying high tea. Drinks and boisterous celebrations in the evening. Frequently, people will sweep in for just a moment, snap a quick selfie, and head back out of the door.

Because the Adlon is more than a hotel. It is the beating heart of Berlin, Germany’s dynamic capital.  “The lobby is like a stage, the people coming and going,” says Joachim Lenk, the hotel’s chief concierge, who has been here since the current version of the Adlon opened 25 years ago. “Even if they don’t have the money for a room, Germans from small towns will come here for a photo, so they can show their families and say, ‘I was at the Adlon.’ ”

The magnificent Lobby, as seen from the Bel Etage dining area. 

HISTORY OF THE ADLON HOTEL

The history of the hotel traces the trajectory of Berlin, their twin fates and fortunes rising and falling in tandem. The Adlon opened in 1907 as the most modern and illustrious hotel in the country, with hot and cold water (a wonder, at the time), grand ballrooms, a palm court, library and even its own power plant to generate electricity. The hotel quickly became a magnet for the most famous and powerful people in the world, from Thomas Edison and John D Rockefeller to Albert Einstein and Marlene Dietrich.

Experience the magic yourself with a stay at Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin 

The original hotel was destroyed by fire in the last days of the Second World War. Architects and designers drew inspiration from the original and constructed today’s version of the Adlon on the footprint, opening its doors in 1997 as Hotel Adlon Kempinski. It still includes the famous elephant statue from the original hotel, now the focal point of the lobby. “It has elephants, frogs, a Thai roof on top,” says Lenk. “It’s an absolute fantasy.”

The hotel sits at a historical crossroads. Some rooms and suites look directly over Brandenburg Gate. The symbol of a united Germany, it was also right in the middle of the Iron Curtain, the place where East met West. The glassy dome of the Reichstag hovers, just beyond.

HOTEL ADLON AND POPULAR CULTURE

In addition to a number of documentaries, the hotel is also featured in novels, television shows, and even rock songs. And it has either inspired or served as a shooting location for many feature films, from Greta Garbo’s ‘Grand Hotel’, to Liam Neeson’s action movie, ‘Unknown’.

And Lenk says that a recent television miniseries, simply called ‘Hotel Adlon’, held the attention of the whole country. A work of fiction, it saw the characters navigating major events of the 20th century – through the grand hallways and ballrooms and chambers of the Adlon. A sort of German Downton Abbey, in three parts. The main characters were created from whole cloth, including a fictionalised version of Herr Adlon Sr, the hotel’s founder. “And the staff on camera were all actors, except maybe a doorman with a very small part, who might be real,” says Lenk. Germans stop by every day to relive their favourite scenes.

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TRIP TO HOTEL ADLON KEMPINSKI

Spend a couple of days, sleeping in a suite, walking the corridors, getting a massage in the city’s largest hotel spa and wellness centre, and, in addition to the luxury and the history, one impression becomes clear. People sometimes complain that five-star hotels lack a sense of place. “This hotel could be anywhere,” they say. Not the Adlon. The Adlon is, through and through, a hotel rooted in Germany. You can sip microbrews from the minibars and try hyper-local snacks like Berliner Barn chocolates and Berlin fruit gummies. The lobby serves its own elevated take on the doner kebab. On the sprawling breakfast buffet, pretzels and Bavarian sweet mustard, and so many sausages.

Of course, it’s also a perfect place to launch – to explore the diversity and dynamism of Berlin, a city that’s currently, very much, having a moment. Bound up for so many decades by division, it seems that a united Berlin has simply gone from strength to strength. Spend a week, and you’ll want another. Come here for a month, and you may stay forever.

The S-Bahn spirits you from one glittering neighbourhood to the next. Tucked away here, a jazz club, with nightly shows. Walk down a random street, and you’ll find happy couples and families dining al fresco on cuisines from around the world. Get lost on the many floors and in the food halls of KaDeWe. Walk the Spree, and find a new, cool district at every bend.

Then, return to Hotel Adlon Kempinski. Raise a champagne flute next to the elephant statue, and pretend, for just a moment, that you’re Herr Adlon, Sr. Then head to bed, the icon of the Brandenburg Gate glowing just outside your window.

Located on the ground floor, Elephant Bar pairs cocktails with cigars and music from the 1920s.

The high ceilings of the Palaissaal Ballroom create an enchanting event space for up to 500 guests.

The indoor pool at Adlon Spa by Resense is perfect for relaxation. 

Many design details are inspired by the original Hotel Adlon. 

If you enjoyed this, why not let Tim take you on another picturesque journey with his travel guide to Cancún?